Those projects are expected to last from late 2026 until 2028. <\/p>\n
The transportation department has said such rehabilitation projects are necessary to ensure the city\u2019s bridges, some of which are more than a century old, are safe to use.<\/p>\n
But speaking during a hearing Wednesday dedicated to reviewing CDOT\u2019s proposed 2026 budget, some alderpeople questioned the logic of doing the repairs of four bridges at the same time \u2014 which they said has led to more traffic and widespread frustration from their constituents.<\/p>\n
One major chokepoint has been Grand Avenue over the river, which many drivers are now using as their route in and out of Downtown, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said. Existing utility projects in the area have also increased slowdowns, he added. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we can all agree that you created quite a bit of chaos in rush hours,\u201d Reilly said. \u201cI\u2019ve received literally hundreds of phone calls, people asking, \u2018Whose great idea was this?\u2019 And I can\u2019t defend it, because it doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a clusterf\u2014,\u201d Reilly told reporters after his comments at the hearing.<\/p>\n
Acting transportation department Commissioner Craig Turner on Wednesday defended the city\u2019s decision process to undertake the bridge repairs, which he stressed as vital to maintaining safety.<\/p>\n
Turner took over the department this summer<\/a> after previous commissioner Tom Carney resigned.<\/p>\n \u201cThese bridges are currently carrying more [than] what they were designed to carry,\u201d Turner said. \u201cWe\u2019re being proactive, and the time is right to get it [done] because we have the plans done, the finances and it\u2019s time to get it done. And there\u2019s no easy way to repair a bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n Other alderpeople also questioned the decision to close the bridges at the same time, albeit with less gusto than Reilly.<\/p>\n Ald. Walter Redmond Burnett (27th), whose ward is affected by several of the closures, said \u201cit feels like a couple of these projects came out of nowhere,\u201d and pushed for better communication from CDOT.<\/p>\n On the North Side, the Cortland bridge closure has caused a \u201creally difficult situation in Lincoln Park,\u201d Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) said, leading to many complaints from neighbors. <\/p>\n And Ald. Bill Conway (34th) said he believed his ward, which includes parts of Downtown and the West Loop, was probably the most affected of any in the city by the temporary closures.<\/p>\n \u201cWas there a proper lack of planning in years past, that predates your time, that made these not get staggered?\u201d Conway asked Turner. \u201cThat\u2019s the question I haven\u2019t gotten a handle on.\u201d<\/p>\n Turner replied by reiterating that the repairs are necessary and said delaying the projects could drive expenses up.<\/p>\n \u201cThe longer you put it off, the more chances you risk of these bridges failing, and you have to do an emergency repair and expedite a lot of things which runs the cost up,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n The acting commissioner did pledge better communication with ward offices about all infrastructure projects, and he told Burnett he would work with him and Reilly to \u201csee if we can eliminate or reduce the number of stress points that people are experiencing.\u201d<\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s hearing took place on the second day of departmental hearings expected to last through mid-November as alderpeople vet Mayor Brandon Johnson\u2019s 2026 proposed budget.<\/a><\/p>\n Johnson\u2019s spending plan calls for a reinstated corporate head tax, a tax on social media companies and a hiring freeze, among other measures, to close a $1.19 billion budget hole.<\/p>\n The Chicago Department of Transportation \u2014 one of the most publicly visible city departments that oversees everything from bike lakes to bridge maintenance to speed cameras \u2014 is expected to cut almost 100 currently vacant positions in 2026, Turner said.<\/p>\n Turner and other department leaders talked only briefly on Wednesday about Chicago\u2019s speed camera program<\/a>, which installed 50 new cameras in 2025 \u2014 bringing the city\u2019s total to 212.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/102922-Daystar-River-Trip-Colin-Boyle-7835.jpg\")
The Lake Street bridge is lifted as sailboats make a trip down the Chicago River to their winter storage on Oct. 29, 2022. Credit: Colin Boyle\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/052422-Ballys-Chicago-Casino-Site-Colin-Boyle-0453.jpg\")
The intersection of Halsted Street and Chicago Avenue, next to the proposed site of the Bally\u2019s casino in the River West neighborhood at the Chicago Tribune\u2019s printing plant on May 24, 2022. Credit: Colin Boyle\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n